Canadian Hockey League

When Jahlil Okafor and the rest of college basketball's top prospects are drafted into the NBA this week, their amateur careers will be over.

But many of this year's NHL draft picks are set to attend college after their big night, and the serpentine route to the team that selected them may take several years to navigate.

Hockey's entry draft grants eligibility to any player older than 17 by Sept. 15 and younger than 21 on Dec. 31. The most touted talents are taken around the time they graduate from high school, making the NCAA a difficult balancing act that can serve as an NHL development league of sorts. Teams retain rights to a player until 30 days after he has left...

Related "Canadian Hockey League" Articles

When Jahlil Okafor and the rest of college basketball's top prospects are drafted into the NBA this week, their amateur careers will be over.
But many of this year's NHL draft picks are set to attend college after their big night, and the serpentine...